Spiritualist Pathfinder Guide: Phantom of the OP-Era

Of the six new classes introduced in Occult Adventures, the Spiritualist might be the most complex. Like the Summoner and the Hunter before it, it is a ‘buddy’ class, and thus has double the new rules to wrap your head around. The Spiritualist is a spooky psychic spellcaster; your powers lean towards the necromantic, as your mind allows you to channel the powers of life and death. In addition, the Spiritualist commands the services of a Phantom, a departed soul that refuses to go to the afterlife for any number of reasons.

Not actually undead, the phantom is a strange ethereal outsider with many of the iconic powers and abilities of a proper ghost. At first blush, the Spiritualist seems quite complex, with a steep learning curve. You have to juggle psychic casting, understanding the various states your phantom can be in, and keep track of lots of odd bonuses and modifiers as your ghost buddy enters and exits your head.

This guide will help you sift through your options, understand the weirdness of your tethered phantom pal, and hopefully give you some character inspiration for this amazingly flavorful and fun class. Soon you’ll be switching your phantom from ectoplasmic to incorporeal manifestations like a pro, or sprouting slime tentacles and eviscerating your foes with a rusty scythe (yes, that’s a thing you can do). Like many of the new Occult classes, the Spiritualist is surprisingly open-ended and filled with possibility.

Whether you’re a grim avenger fighting alongside your phantom ally, a mystic master of the realms beyond communing with departed souls, or a twisted necromancer enslaving unwilling spectres, the Spiritualist will add spooky ambiance and unorthodox tactics to any adventuring party.

Optimization is heavily influenced by your group’s play style and experiences, so the bonuses for you are that you get two perspectives, as well as a significantly higher level of completeness and prooofreading, while each of us didn’t have to try to write an entire guide to the aforesaid highly complicated class by ourselves.

Read also: Understanding anemia spiritually

Ability Scores and Races

The spiritualist has a wide variety of builds available to it, but before you even get thinking about those, you need to answer one simple question: Wisdom or Charisma? The base spiritualist is Wisdom-based, but the Fractured Mind archetype swaps their casting modifier and a few fluffy spell-like abilities - essentially putting you in a position where Wisdom or Charisma is purely a personal decision and every race that grants a bonus to Wisdom or Charisma is an option for a spiritualist.

The general ability breakdown is as follows:

• STR: Certain melee builds will want STR as a primary score, typically wielding a scythe or other two-handed weapon. Like a summoner, you can dump STR if you want to focus more on casting, staying out of the fray and letting your phantom handle physical threats.
• DEX: With only light armor proficiency, you’ll want a decent DEX to shore up defenses. DEX-based melee or ranged builds will want DEX as a primary score.
• CON: More useful for melee spiritualists, everyone wants at least a positive CON score for survivability.
• INT: There is very little INT synergy for spiritualists. Considering your phantom can fill the gap a bit when it comes to skills, you can afford to dump INT if you want. Easier on a human or other race that gets bonus skill points.
• WIS: This is the standard spiritualist’s casting stat. Not only does it determine the power of your psychic spells, but it also pumps up your Will save and Perception checks. Fractured Minds (an archetype that swaps WIS for CHA casting) can get by with an average or lower score here.
• CHA: Intimidate can be a powerful tool for fear-stacking builds, but otherwise most spiritualists don’t have to worry about CHA too much; you could even dump it if you wish. Fractured Minds have CHA-based casting instead of WIS, so it gets swapped for priority.

Here's a comparison of Wisdom and Charisma for Spiritualists:

Characteristic	Wisdom	Charisma
Saves	Applies to Will saves	-
Skills	Applies to Perception and Sense Motive	Applies to social skills like Diplomacy and Intimidate, as well as Use Magic Device
Archetypes	Required for Fated archetype or any future archetype that clashes with Fractured Mind	-
Multiclassing	Can leave Charisma as a dump stat; better for MAD (multi-attribute dependent) builds and low point buy campaigns or poor rolls	Better for multiclassing or “X to Y” builds
Races	-	Broader range of available races
Fractured Mind	-	Fractured Mind spell-like abilities are often more useful than the base spiritualist ones

Basic Build Goals:

• Support/Control Caster - You can’t go wrong here. The spiritualist has a great spell list and (eventually) a pretty robust set of defenses from their class features. Your role isn’t just a +numbers guy like the bard - you bring some of the absolute best support spells from both the cleric and wizard spell list. Part of this role is healing and condition removal, but remember that often a wand of cure light wounds will take care of most of your party’s needs.
• Str-Based Melee - Your class doesn’t really grant large bonuses to melee combat, but your spells are excellent for a gish. Playing buddy-buddy with your phantom can give you the ability to put out some significant damage. No bonus combat feats makes this an especially attractive option - you only need Power Attack to do melee effectively.
• Dex-Based Melee - A dex based build usually suffers vs. a Str-based build until high levels. Yes, the bonuses to initiative, Reflex saves, and AC are useful, but the x1.5 Str to damage from a two-handed weapon and Power Attack usually win out. Still, once you’re high enough level to have Weapon Finesse, Piranha Strike, and a Dex-to-damage ability, the playing field levels out a little.
• Ranged - Range seems like a decent place for the spiritualist - just stand in the back and let your phantom tank! Unfortunately, the phantom has a very short leash - really, just 50ft. unless you want to spend a full-round action concentrating. That plus the need for four feats minimum (Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim) for a decent archer build with no bonus feats from your class means it’ll be at least level 7 (5 for human) until you’ve got your basic build. If you want to be a ranged, Wis-based ⅔ caster with a pet, take a look at the Hunter.
• Debuffer - Your class features don’t really seem to support it, but several phantom emotional foci make for excellent debuffers. With your phantom providing the first nudge in that direction, you can snowball a penalty to saves into all the nasty debuffs your spell list holds.
• Party Face - Fractured Minds (with their Cha focus) will especially want to consider this. With 4+Int skills per level, and Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive as class skills, a spiritualist can serve as the party’s go-to social interaction guy. Notably absent is Diplomacy, but it can easily be nabbed with a trait. You get two free Skill Focuses (Skill Foci?) while your phantom is chilling in your mind; a Dedication phantom, for example, grants Skill Focus (Diplomacy) and Skill Focus (Sense Motive).

Races

Core Rule Book

Read also: Light Blue: Calmness and Healing

• Dwarves - Dwarves make badass spiritualists - Wisdom bonus/Charisma penalty (perfect for non-Fractured Minds), great defensive bonuses like Hardy, and weapon proficiencies. Favored class bonus is meh (increased shield bonus from ectoplasmic bonded manifestation).
• Elf - The weapon proficiencies are nice, but there are so many races that are good for the spiritualist that it’s hard to get excited about the races that don’t give a bonus to Wis or Cha. Same favored class bonus as dwarf.
• Gnomes - Solid caster-focused Fractured Mind spiritualist. Increased shield bonus from spiritual interference.
• Half-Elves - Flexible stat bonus, can swap Skill Focus for Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency. Their favored class bonus is just a gimped version of the human one...but because they have the human subtype, they can take it anyway.
• Half-Orcs - Flexible stat bonus, comes with weapon proficiencies, orc ferocity (meaning your phantom gets to stick around for an extra round when you get dropped below 0), and the human favored class bonus (as half-elf).
• Halflings - Solid caster-focused Fractured Mind spiritualist. Favored class bonus increases the time your phantom can spend while incorporeal and out of line of sight/effect, making it a slightly better scout.
• Humans - Flexible stat bonus, the feat is a godsend for many builds on this feat-starved class, and their favored class bonus is excellent. You’re adding +20 HP to your phantom over 20 levels, which is even better than taking Toughness on your phantom (which will be +15 HP at 20 because it’ll only have a hit dice of 15).

Featured Races

• Aasimar - Is there anything these guys can’t do well? Bonus to Wis and Cha means it doesn’t matter whether you want to go base spiritualist or Fractured Mind.
• Catfolk/Dhampir/Drow/Fetchling/Ifrit - They;re all +2 Dex/+2 Cha races, with penalties to Wis/Con/Con/Wis/Wis, respectively. Catfolk get claws and kind-of pounce, dhampir are healed by negative energy (and are generally a nice fluff fit), drow get some mediocre weapon proficiencies (just go half-elf or even elf), fetchlings get some great spell like abilities, and Ifrit don’t really get anything.
• Goblin - The super bonus to Dex is always nice, and Small size with an additional +4 bonus to Stealth means you can just hide while your phantom does the work.
• Hobgoblin - Dex/Con. Nice physical stat boosts plus proficiency with a martial weapon of choice.
• Orcs - Penalty to all mental stats, but +4 to Str, weapon proficiency, and ferocity make them still an option. They have a surprising number of racial feats, but you can access those through half-orc as well.
• Oread - Strength/Wis. Make sure to trade out earth affinity and magic stone.
• Tengu - +2 dex/+2 wis, weapon proficiencies, and natural attacks. Very solid choice.
• Tiefling - Assuming you can get variant heritages, you can get Dex/Wis, Con/Wis, Str/Cha, Dex/Cha, Con/Cha, or Str/Wis - i.e. The base racial features are pretty “meh,” but you can pick up moderately interesting abilities like limited fast healing, ooze breath, full amphibious-ness, or, uh, the ability to summon a dolphin. No joke.

Uncommon Races

• Changelings - +2 Cha/+2 Wis, so your choice of normal or Fractured Mind. A Witchborn changeling switches that to +2 Int/+2 Cha, which is great for a party face. Mist Child and Hulking Changeling are interesting (but unfortunately, you can’t have both).
• Duergar (Paizo) - They’re mostly the same as dwarves, but with some nifty immunities, useful spell-like abilities, and no weapon proficiencies.
• Gillmen - +Con/+Cha, but you’ve got some unfun mechanical and roleplay issues.
• Grippli - +Dex/+Wis, Small size, climb speed, and some fun alternate abilities like poison, Diplomacy/Intimidate boosts, and gliding.
• Kitsune - Dex/Cha. Bonus to Enchantment spell DCs, which you have a couple of.
• Merfolk - +2 to three different stats Dex/Con/Cha, +2 natural armor bonus, swim speed, and a pretty terrible move speed. Strongtail is non-negotiable.
• Nagaji - +Str/+Cha. +1 natural armor. Unremarkable, but serviceable.
• Samsaran - +Int/+Wis/-Con, but the big draw is being able to nab spells from other psychic class lists. The psychic caster’s class lists are not nearly as cohesive and defined as the arcane/divine dichotomy, meaning there’s plenty of goodies to steal. Occultist stands out for the Ectoplasmatist, granting shocking grasp and touch of fatigue. Mesmerist is interesting because it has a very distinctive illusion/enchantment spell list (much of which is normally not available to you), while psychic just has a very broad list with potential game-breakers like planar ally. Really, anything you wouldn’t have access to (like enlarge person and mirror image) can be useful.
• Strix - Flying! Woo. Penalty to Cha.
• Suli - +Str/+Cha, nifty resistances, and elemental assault is fun.
• Svirfneblin - Dex/Wis. +2 dodge bonus to AC, +2 racial bonus to all saves, Small size, and some decent spell-like abilities. Similar boat to the gnome and halfling, but a bit ahead of both. Be careful about the spell resistance, though.
• Vanara - Dex/Wis. Climb speed or all Knowledge skills as class skills...but you already get all Knowledge skills as class skills.
• Vishkanya - Dex/Cha. Poison related abilities, including the Sleep Venom feat.

Other Races

• Gnoll - Str/Con, +2 to natural armor.
• Lizardfolk - Str/Con, +2 to natural armor, swim speed, natural attacks. Strictly superior to gnolls. If you want to play a gnoll, ask your GM if you can get a lizardfolk’s natural attacks, at the very least.
• Skinwalkers - +2 Wis, +2 to a physical stat of choice, but they’re tiefling-like in their variants of natural attacks and stat modifiers. Wearboar (+2 Wis/+2Con while shapechanged/-2 Cha) are particularly popular, having a choice of gore and hoof attacks - both hard to come by - along with scent and a +10ft. bonus to their base move speed.
• Triaxian - Con/Wis. Human-like bonus feat.
• Shabti - Cha/Con. Immortal.
• Lashunta (Female) - +2 Int/+2 Cha. Great stat spread for a party face.
• Gathlain - Cha/Dex. Fly speed!

3rd Party Races (Dreamscarred Press)

• Dromites - Cha/Dex. Great small Fractured Minds, like gnomes and halflings.
• Duergar - Wis/Con. Mostly the same as their Paizo counterparts, but with less immunities.
• Elan - +2 to a stat of choice. Some useful defensive features.
• Half-Giant - Str/Wis. Almost definitely the best choice for a Str-based spiritualist if allowed. Powerful Build is a brutally effect.

Spiritual Ally Spell

Read also: Explained: Spiritual Blessings

The spiritual ally carries a single weapon, one favored by your deity (as for spiritual weapon), which has the same threat range and critical modifiers as a real weapon of its form. Each round on your turn, starting with the turn that you cast this spell, your spiritual ally can make an attack against a foe within its reach that you designate. The spiritual ally threatens adjacent squares and can flank and make attacks of opportunity as if it were a normal creature. The spiritual ally uses your base attack bonus (gaining extra attacks if your base attack bonus is high enough) plus your Wisdom bonus when it makes a melee attack. When the spiritual ally hits, it deals 1d10 points of force damage + 1 point of damage per 3 caster levels (maximum +5 at 15th level). Each round after the first, you can move the spiritual ally as a swift action. It has a speed of 30 feet, and a fly speed of 30 feet (perfect maneuverability).

Being a construct of force, the spiritual ally cannot be harmed by any physical attacks, but dispel magic, disintegrate, a sphere of annihilation, or a rod of cancellation affects it. If an attacked creature has spell resistance, you make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against that spell resistance the first time the spiritual ally strikes it. If the ally is successfully resisted, the spell is dispelled.

tags: #spiritual #ally #pathfinder